Overview

This bill mandates that UK clean air targets align with World Health Organization (WHO) guidelines. It also requires annual parliamentary reports on the UK's progress towards meeting these stricter targets.

Description

The Clean Air Targets (World Health Organization Guidelines) Bill aims to improve air quality across the UK by legally binding the government to meet WHO air quality guidelines. This will be done by making it a duty of the relevant national authority (the Secretary of State for England, the Welsh Ministers for Wales, the Scottish Ministers for Scotland, and the Department of Agriculture, Environment and Rural Affairs for Northern Ireland) to ensure that UK clean air targets are in line with WHO guidelines, specifically those published on September 22nd, 2021, or any subsequent revisions. The bill necessitates annual reports to Parliament detailing progress toward achieving these targets, beginning in 2022. The Secretary of State is responsible for compiling these reports, with other relevant national authorities providing the necessary data.

Government Spending

The bill doesn't directly specify government spending. However, achieving the stricter WHO guidelines will likely necessitate increased investment in various measures to reduce air pollution, potentially impacting budgets for environmental protection, public health, and infrastructure projects.

Groups Affected

• Government Departments: Increased responsibilities in setting and monitoring air quality targets. This may lead to increased workload and potentially, budgetary implications.
• Environmental Agencies: Increased monitoring and reporting requirements.
• Industries: Businesses, especially those contributing significantly to air pollution (e.g., transportation, manufacturing), may face stricter regulations and increased costs to comply with the new, more stringent targets.
• Public Health Organisations: May see improvements in public health outcomes due to better air quality, but potentially increased workload in monitoring related health improvements.
• General Public: Could experience improved health outcomes due to cleaner air, but potentially facing higher costs for compliance measures depending on industries affected.

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